By Dan Lott

Overlooking the intracoastal waterway and alongside the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel, the Jekyll Island Invitational Tournament was played October 23-25 under very favorable weather conditions. It had been 17 years since the last tournament was played there.

The field consisted of eight strong players (four from Georgia and four from Florida). With only one block, each participant played five matches before the seeding of single elimination ladder play on Sunday.

It took several matches before seasoned tournament players Dick Brackett, John Curington, and Ted Knopf adapted to the challenging court, and began to assert their superior style of play.

Absent from the sport for many years, Jim Woodall was the surprise of the tournament going 4-1 in block play to earn the #2 seed position in the ladder. His only block loss was by one point to the eventual champion.

With the exception of a one point loss to Ted Knopf in block play, rising star Derrick Wassink was the dominant force in the tournament. He quickly adjusted to the vicissitudes of the court and overpowered his opponents, earning +48 Net Points in block play.

In the finals, when Ted Knopf stuffed one of his balls in #2 wicket, Wassink hit in and took control of the match, turning in a score of 26-4 to capture the championship trophy.

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Breaking Out the Mallets

It has been a long time since an officially sanctioned croquet tournament came to Jekyll Island - 17 years to be exact.

In that gap, the closest tournaments that made their way even close to the area were at Hilton Head Island, S.C., and St. Augustine, Fla.

For local player Dan Lott, the time had come for croquet to return to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

“Jekyll Island used to, years ago, have some really fine tournaments there at the hotel,” Lott said. “I visited with Kevin Runner, the general manager of the hotel, and asked him if he thought there would be any interest in renewing their commitment to having a croquet tournament at Jekyll Island. He gave me a very positive response and from that point on, I started working on it.”

Lott’s efforts will bear fruit Friday as some of the top croquet players in the country flock to Jekyll Island to play in a prestigious singles invitational tournament sanctioned by the United States Croquet Association.

The tournament, which is scheduled to begin at noon Friday and run through mid-afternoon Sunday, will feature three former Georgia state champs, two members of the United States Croquet Hall of Fame, the reigning seniors national champion, a former national championship runner-up and a former USCA president.The quality of the field has the members of the Jekyll Island Croquet Club looking forward to the event.

“They seem to be very excited about it,” Lott said of the club members. “None of them has ever played in a tournament before or, to my knowledge, witnessed a tournament before.

“They’re very excited about having some of these top-notch players come in and participate.”

Ten players in all will compete, including four from Georgia and six players from Florida.

Read the full story here…

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Jekyll Island, GA — The first Singles Croquet Invitational Tournament to be held in Glynn County in 19 years is scheduled for October 23-25, 2009. The United States Croquet Association (USCA) sanctioned event to be held at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel has an impressive line-up of some of the top players in the country.

Tournament play is scheduled to begin at noon on Friday and continue Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to mid-afternoon. Spectators are welcome to attend the entire event, and seating will be provided courtside.

The 3-day tournament is sponsored by the Jekyll Island Club Hotel and the Jekyll Island Croquet Club, and they will award trophies at the end of the tournament on Sunday. Chairman of the Tournament, Dan Lott of Sea Island, Georgia, says, “We’re very happy with the line-up of players and anticipate a keenly competitive contest.” Fred Jones, a member of the Croquet Hall of Fame and winner of the Seniors and Masters Tournament in 2008, will serve as the Official Referee. The winner will be presented the championship trophy by Rob Jagger, president of the Jekyll Island Croquet Club, after the last round.

A croquet clinic, which is open to anyone interested in learning about croquet, is planned for Thursday afternoon on the Hotel’s greensward. At that time, expert players Fred and Jackie Jones, provide instruction on rules of the game, stroke technique, equipment, and winning strategies. Jackie is the recipient of the USCA Peyton Ballenger Memorial Award initiated in 1993 (an annual award presented to the woman who places highest in the USCA Nationals) for nine years between 1996 and 2008. Fred and Jackie have been National Seniors Doubles Champions in Croquet for two years. Registration for the clinic, which is free of charge, may be made by contacting the Jekyll Island Club Hotel concierge in advance.

Social events are planned for the competitors and their guests including special dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings. “The Jekyll Island Croquet Club (JICC), a competitive group of accomplished players, demonstrates the basic method of play used in tournaments as they practice on the lawn throughout the year. We are pleased to have them join us on court, the only competition level croquet greensward within a 200-mile radius,” said Hotel General Manager Kevin Runner.

Competition croquet is a game of strategy and technique, more than one of great physical exertion. Consequently, players of all ages can play and enjoy the sociability of the game as well as competitive play. The hotel’s greensward, designed and built by landscape architect William Edenfield in 1986, meets all the qualifications for tournament play. Its layered composition, specialized drainage system and patented grass provide a close-cut playing surface for a truer roll of the ball.

Competitors in the Tournament as well as spectators will enjoy the setting of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, a National Historic Landmark and Historic Hotel of America. The handsome Queen Anne and Italian Renaissance architectural styles of the buildings and the landscaping, are reminiscent of the early Club era of the late 1800’s.

About the Jekyll Island Club

An exclusive hunting retreat for J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Joseph Pulitzer and their friends, the Jekyll Island Club enjoyed a social season unparalleled in the nation. Over the course of time, An exclusive hunting retreat for J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Joseph Pulitzer and their club members built a cottage colony for themselves, entertained the powerful and wealthy elite of the day, and attracted to their membership the titans of industry, politics, and finance. They created history while they were here. The first transcontinental telephone call, a visit by President McKinley, and the creation of the Federal Reserve were some of the exciting happenings on Jekyll Island.

Eventually, by 1942 the Club had begun to wane in popularity, and by 1947Jekyll Island became the property of the State of Georgia. After much political wrangling, it was declared a state park which it continues to be to this day. In 1984, when the Club buildings were in a state of disrepair, a group of entrepreneurs recognized their beauty and potential, and determined to breathe life back into them. They devised a plan, received approvals and financing, and set to work. The award winning resort exists today because of their vision and entrepreneurial creativity.

For more information, contact the concierge at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, 371 Riverview Drive, Jekyll Island, Georgia, 31527, or call 912-635-2600 or 800-535-9547. Visit our website at www.jekyllclub.com.

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